Aeroplane



J. A. SOWELL.

AEROPLANE. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 3, 1918.

Patented Feb. 24, 1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

m. w m N I J. A. SOWELL.

AEROPLANE. APPLICATION FILED DEC. s, |918.

mames,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IN V ENT OR.

/ A TToR/VEY Patented Feb. 24, 1920.

vuruTnn sTATEs PATENT carica. j

TOEN A. SOWELL, OF STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA, .ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO ERNESTE. SOWELL, 0F SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA.

AERPLANE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 24, 1920.

Application iled December 3, 1918. lSerial No. 265,098.

-Joaquin, State of California, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Aeroplanes; and I do declare the following .to be aclear, full, and eXact description of the same, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this application.

This invention relates to im. rovements in aeroplanes, the principalobject being to produce an aeroplane which will control the air insteadof the machine being controlled by the air.

A second object has been to so construct the aeroplane that the aircurrents or air pressure against opposite sides of "the ma- ,chine willbe' equalized and the aeroplane Awill thereby have great stability. Inthis respect, ,the aeroplane is so constructed that the air pressuresfrom opposite sides on meeting or coming together are forced upward,thus being utilized to help raise the niachine.

By means of a construction hereinafter described the resistance atA theforward end I have also provided a means whereby' the resistance of theairl is distributed equally over all parts of the machine, therebygiving the same vlateral stability and asf suring Y positive balance.

By means of other construction, I am en` i abled to shut of the drivingpower and remain stationary in the air or ascend and descend at willthereby, and in a vertical plane.

I have also constructed my aeroplane so that the center of gravity willat all times be on the same vertical line as the center of pressure.

Asa further object, I have produced a device which is simple ofconstruction and operation and yetexceedingly effective for the purposefor which it is designed.

These objects, I accomplish by means of such structure and relativearrangement of the parts as will fully appear by a perusal of thefollowing specification and claims.

On the drawings, similar characters of reference indicate correspondingparts in the several v1ews.

Figure l is a-perspective elevation, de-

'and lower wing plane.

Fig. l is a fragmentary cross sectional view of anelevating anddepressing mechanism, taken on a line 1 -4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is Ya fragmentary view, partly broken away of a steeringmechanism.

Referring now more particularly to the numerals of reference on thedrawings, the numeral l designates the fuselage, which is of cigar-shapeform,l but larger at the rear than the forward end, on both sides ofwhich and positioned on a horizontal line halfway up the sides thereofare lower wings 2. These wings are fiat, or, in other words, lie in onehorizontal plane, and are provided with large fore and aft openings 3for a purpose as will appear.

Projecting upwardly from these planes or wlngs are suitable struts 4, towhich are secured upper wings 5. These wings overhang the planes 2 alongthe sides thereof, are substantially parallel thereto, and are warpedconveXly in a fore and aft direction, the

edges thereof near the longitudinal center of Vthe aeroplane beingsuitably spaced apart' and bent upward at an angle 'for a certaindistance as shown at 6.

These edges and the space between the wings is covered by atube ortunnel 7 of substantially cylindrical cross section, but has a peak 8arising centrally therefrom and extending longitudinally thereof.

The lower edges of this tube terminate somewhat short of the wings 6,leaving a longitudinal opening 9 therebetween on both sides.

A cylindrical tank 10 may be positioned in the tube,l so as to keep thefuel as far from the engine as possible.

A corkscrew pro eller 11 is positioned in 'the forward end o the tube,this propeller suitable type of bearing as for instance, that Y depictedat 1,5, this bearing being covered by a hood 16 so that the air will bedeflected therefrom. This rudder may be operated directly by a handle17, or it may be controlled by a cable mechanism such as is indicated at18, p

At the rear ofthe fuselage is the driving propeller 17, driven by apower plant suitably positioned, but preferably an independent plantfrom the one driving the forward corkscrew propeller.

Positioned in the orifices 3 are wide bladed propellers 20, these beingmounted in a horizontal plane and pivotally mounted on shafts 21 whichspan these orifices transversely. These propellers are driven throughsuitable gearing 22 arranged about the intersecting point of thevertical propeller shaft and the transverse shaft, the transverseshaft'v being in driving lrelation with the power plant 12a. A suitablecasing 23 covers the gearing 22 on each propeller, which casing isadapted to turn on the shaft 21. An arm 24 projects upward from each ofthe casings 23, and each pair is operatively connected to a lever 25suitably' positioned within reach of the aviator, whereb the propellers2O may be swung on the sliafts 21 to alter the angle 0f the propellerswith the planes 2 in alongitudinal direction.

Shields 26 are sitioned under and partly around the ori ces 3, wherebythe' air thrown against them will be deiiected and 4 thrown down intothe ath of the air curvrent caused by the turning of the propeller. Theprinciples of operation and Yconstruction are as follows i The forwardcork screw propeller 11 being ositioned in the center and forward end oft e tube breaks the atmospheric pressure caused by the advancing motionof the aeroplane and forms a vacuum or trough at this 4 point wherebythe machine has a tendency to rise at the forward end. This also easesup the strain on the rear driving propeller 19 and stabilizes the upperportions of the aero lane.

Tige fuselage 1 being positioned one half below the lower wings 2, thishas its greatest weight under these wings, thus giving the aeroplane avery low center of gravity.

The horizontal propellers 20 positioned in the lower wings 2 beingcontrollable as to their fore and aft angle with the planes or wings 2,provide a means for giving perfect balance to the aeroplane, taking theplace of the usual ailerons, and also form a .said up naartoe l meansfor lifting the machine directly upy'ward against the loweripressure ofair. The

equally, giving the aeroplane great lateral` stability. Longitudinalstability is gained as described by the aileron action of the propellers2G and by the corkscrew propeller 11. Also, the propellers 20 exerttheir force against the pressure of the air beneath the aeroplane, andby holding these propellers all on a horizontal plane the machine may beheld stationary in the air, and prevented from falling, by merelycutting off the power from the driving propeller 19, and rotating thepropellers 20 at a speed sucient to just counteract the force ofgravity, or they may be speededup so as to cause the aeroplane torisehdirectly from the ground in a vertical at p Thus it will be seenthat I have made great improvements over the type of aeroplane now used,in that I have overcome head resistancefam not dependent on high speedfor air staying qualities, I have gained great stability, bothlongitudinal and lateral, and amy enabled to stand indefinitely, in oneposition in the air and can ascend or descend in a vertical plane.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferredconstruction of the device, stilll in practice, such deviations fromsuch detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from thespirit of the invention as dened by the appended claims. i,

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful anddesire to lsecure by Letters Patent is 1. An aeroplane comprising incombina-` .the upper planes being convexly warped transversely` wherebythe air striking the outside of said wings will be thrown against thecentral tube to stabilize the aeroplane.

2.v An aeroplane comprising a fuselage,

flat planes extending lengthwise and on each side thereof, a drivingpropeller on the rear end of the fuselage, horizontall positioned liftpropellers mounted on said at planes in orifices provided therein, upperplanes spaced from thellower planes, and parallel t er'eto, the upperplanes being "-'convexly warped longitudinally, and the inner edgesthereof being angled upwardl and spaced apart, and a tube extendingengthwise of er planes and covering said angled edges, t e tube having aslot on each side thereof opening onto said angled edges, 130

Iwhereby the air pressure on the outer surface of the upper planes willpass through the slots and be diverted by the angled edges of the upperplanes and be thrown upward against the inner Walls of the tube.

3. An aeroplane comprising a fuselage, liat planes extending lengthwiseand on each side thereof, a driving propeller on the rear end of thefuselage, horizontally positioned lift propellers mounted on said Hatplanes in orifices provided therein, upper planes spaced from the lowerplanes, and parallel thereto, the upper planes Ibeing* convexly warpedlongitudinally, an open ended tube extending lengthwise and Central ofsaid upper planes, and a Corkscrew propeller positioned in the lorvvardend of the tube and projecting therefrom, whereby the air pressurecaused by the Jforward motion of the aeroplane is attacked andcontrolled.

In testimony whereof I ailiX my signature .in presence of two witnesses.

JHN A. SOVVELL. Witnesses:

BERNARD PRIVAT, VERADINE WARNER.

